Ambient condition measurement and reporting system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a system for measuring ambient and sensory conditions in venues using a number of real-time signals, including sound, temperature, light, motion, water usage, vibration, infrared signal and others. Ambient signal data is transmitted to a cloud-based application that stores the signal levels in a database, analyzes the data, and presents the information in a visual format for use by venues and by consumers. The system can, among other things, provide an overall measure of ambient conditions in a venue and allow those with environmental or sensory sensitivities or preferences to identify safe or suitable public venues.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/798,514, filed on Jul. 14, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,034,123, titledAMBIENT CONDITION MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING SYSTEM, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/681,376,filed on Nov. 19, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,082,290, titled CROWDACTIVITY AND AMBIENT CONDITION MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING SYSTEM, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/561,471,filed on Nov. 18, 2011, titled CROWD ACTIVITY MEASUREMENT AND REPORTINGSYSTEM.

BACKGROUND

Consumers have an abundance of choices to make in social venues, whetherbars, restaurants, clubs, coffee shops or other public locations wherefood, beverages or entertainment are provided. Many such venues vary inpopularity, whether as to time of day, day of the week or season or asto normal fluctuation due to novelty. For example, a particular barmight have a small lunchtime crowd but a large evening crowd, or evenlate evening crowd. Alternatively, a particular restaurant in proximityto a sports venue may be very busy on game night but very slow at othertimes. The level of activity, except at certain times (i.e. middle ofthe night at a restaurant) is typically very difficult to predict.

The level of activity can greatly impact consumer desire to go to aparticular venue. One type of consumer, a family with small children forexample, may only want to go to restaurants that are quiet or slowenough to have immediate seating. Conversely, younger people orconventioneers may purposely want to go to venues that are loud andstanding room only. In another example, music clubs may only become busywhen an opening act comes on stage and this time can vary widely basedon the band and number of opening acts.

Consumers have little way of knowing a real-time level of crowd activityat a venue unless they (a) travel to the venue or (b) call the venue.The first can be greatly impractical depending on the location of thevenue or the desire of the consumer to guarantee in advance what thelevel of crowd activity is. It is a common occurrence for consumers totravel to a venue and find that a restaurant is too busy to accommodateseating except with a long wait time. Or consumers may travel to a venueand find that it is closed, or so slow that it would not be enjoyable tostay at the location. Other venue choices may not be in proximity to thefirst location, thus imposing further risk of lost time or frustrationon the consumer.

Consumers could call particular venues and check on crowd level.However, many venues will not answer the phone or if they do, theinformation they provide is temporal—by the time consumers arrive at thedestination, conditions have changed for the worse. While somerestaurants do take reservations, which addresses concern for seating,many do not. Further, crowd level might affect whether someone goes to aparticular venue even with a reservation (for example, a working lunchwhere it might be essential to have access to a quiet space).

For these and other reasons, consumers are often left with substantialrisk of lost time and frustration when choosing an appropriate socialvenue because of the lack of real-time crowd activity information.

From the business standpoint there is frustration as well. Unless aconsumer calls or tries to book a reservation, whether by phone orInternet, the consumer will not know in advance whether the venue isappropriate for the social gathering. So the business often has toaddress frustrated consumers who arrive expecting seating when there isa long wait or arrive expecting bustling activity when the venue is tooquiet. Businesses have no way of broadcasting crowd activity level tolet consumers have the benefit of this information.

Further, businesses that are slow when they are typically busy mightlike to communicate such information to consumers in need of immediateseating. Or businesses that are busy when they are typically slow mightwant to advertise activity level as a way of showing business success.Businesses may also want to be able to offer specials or deals thatrelate to specified activity levels.

While register sales may provide some measure of facility use, dollarsspent by patrons could vary wildly from the actual number of patrons inthe facility. Traditional door counters, primarily used for security orfire code compliance, provide no information about the level of crowdactivity in the venue. 100 people in motion at a rock club will be muchlouder than 500 people sitting at a play.

Thus there is a need for a real-time crowd activity measurement andreporting system for social venues.

In addition to overall crowd effect, ambient conditions also affect thecondition of a restaurant or other social venue, including the qualityof overall experience. Monitoring and capturing of sound, light andtemperature provide an overall ambient experience description that wouldbe useful to venues: for patron enjoyment; for staff enjoyment andproductivity; and for general conditions of the premises, includingsecurity and safety. So, sound level monitoring could provide dataneeded for the crowd activity measurement. However, temperature, incombination with sound level, could also provide crowd activitymeasurement. Noise, light and temperature also affect venue userexperience, including for those with hearing or vision impairment, noisesensitivity or crowd-related anxiety. These are but additional reasonswhy an ambient condition monitor would be of great value.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a system for measuring ambientconditions in venues using a number of real-time signals, includingsound, temperature, light, motion, water usage, vibration, infraredsignal, stray voltage signals, and others. Ambient signal data istransmitted to a cloud-based application that stores the signal levelsin a database and presents the information in a visual format for use byvenues and by consumers. The system can, among other things, provide anoverall measure of crowd activity in a venue.

Reference is made throughout the present disclosure to certain aspectsof one embodiment of the system described herein. Such references toaspects of the presently described system do not limit the scope of theclaims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in thisdisclosure are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some ofthe many possible embodiments for the appended claims. It is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for thepurpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an example of the system in use at a venue with an array ofsound pressure level meters or ambient condition sensors set up withinthe venue.

FIG. 2 is an example comparative plot of sound pressure data for threevenues during the course of a given day.

FIG. 3 is an example of a map that could show where hot or cold venuesare located at a given point in time on an example visual interface.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an example computing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system described below measures crowd level at venues, whetherpublic or private, through the use of real-time crowd signals: sound;light; temperature; motion; water usage; vibration; infrared signal,stray voltage signals, and others. The system further transmits thecrowd signal information on a recurring basis to a cloud-basedapplication that stores the signal levels in a database and furtherpresents the information in a visual format. Venues or consumers canthen view the data to determine activity levels at a given time.

Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts andassemblies throughout the several views. Reference to variousembodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto.Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are notintended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possibleembodiments for the appended claims. It is understood that variousomissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated ascircumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended tocover applications or embodiments without departing from the spirit orscope of the claims attached hereto. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

A preferred embodiment will be described with regard to a nightclub.Inside the nightclub are one or more sound pressure level, or soundlevel, meters (“SPL meters”) 104, such as the array shown in FIG. 1. Inlieu of an SPL meter 104, any ambient condition sensor as describedherein may be used. They can be standalone battery-powered units (suchas a sound level datalogger) or could be hard-wired into a power supply(or power over Ethernet). From a data transmission standpoint, the unitscould operate wirelessly (via Wi-Fi or data network such as 3G or 4G) orvia hardline (via Ethernet to a PC or other computer and then viainternet or other data connection to a remote or local server) totransmit data via a network 404. This is described in more detail belowin reference to FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the sound pressure levelmeter 104 is a self-ranging decibel meter (i.e., one that can adjustdecibel range based on actual sound pressure ranges at a specific venue,such as 60-70 decibels; 70-80 etc. . . . ). Consumer smartphones withsound meter apps could also supply this data. The SPL units wouldmeasure sound pressure level and the remote crowd signal applicationwould, on a periodic basis, capture the signal level and store in adatabase. For example, the system could grab crowd signal every fiveminutes and store for further use. As the sound level went up in theclub due to increased crowd level, the signal level would go up.

As an alternative to sound pressure level measurement, other sound,noise or decibel level meters could be employed. For example,microphones could be used to record an audio signal, including signalintensity, and evaluate sound profile in the recording. The appropriatemeters would be employed in the physical environment to capture andanalyze sound signal intensity.

In some embodiments, the system may be able to determine and transmitdata regarding the type of sound being made in an environment such as,but not limited to, human conversation, music, machines, industrialnoise, dissonant tones, and television. Further, it may be able todetermine and transmit data regarding the type of music, such ascountry, rock, jazz, or punk, and the profile of the sound, such asbackground noise or focused noise.

Signals in addition to sound- or noise-based ones could also be employedas an alternative to, or in combination with, those that aresound-based. For example, one or more motion sensors could be used tomeasure overall intensity of physical motion in a given space. Vibrationsensors could also be used to similar effect—as the level of physicalactivity in a space increased, the vibration signal would increase. Alsopossible would be temperature sensors or infrared signal meters. As thelevel of people 102 in a given space increased, the temperature orinfrared heat signal would increase. Similarly, CO2 level could betracked with a carbon dioxide sensor as its level would increase withthe number of people in a space.

Two other modalities could work as well: (a) water usage measurement and(b) cellphone signal detection. In the first, a flow meter or vibrationsensor would be connected to an outgoing or incoming water pipe. As thenumber of persons increased, the water usage level would increase,whether in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The flow meter or vibrationsensor would measure and track this increase and decrease. Regardingcellphone usage, a single or multi-modal cellphone signal detector (3G,voice, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) would detect outbound signals. As the number ofpersons 102 in the venue increased, the number of overall cellphonesignals would increase. Given that approximately 80% of U.S. populationhas a cellphone, this could be a reasonably accurate measure of crowdintensity.

Alternatively, one or more of these sensors could be combined to enhanceor validate crowd activity or noise signal. For example, a soundpressure level meter signal 104 could be combined with a temperature orinfrared signal to provide an enhanced crowd measurement signal or onethat better avoids temporary distortions that may provide a falsesignal. Also, the crowd activity signal could be combined with real-timesocial network feeds that correlate published crowd location with thecrowd signal. This also could potentially provide enhanced crowdactivity data.

In addition to overall crowd effect, ambient conditions also providevery useful data on the overall quality and status of experience of avenue. These include sound, described above, but also light andtemperature. Whether or not a venue is busy, noise conditions may impairthe experience of patrons and could indicate an unacceptable risk toemployee hearing, which is the subject of federal and state regulation(such as OSHA). Consumers for a variety of reasons may seek a quieterenvironment, whether for personal enjoyment or hearing impairment orother health condition (such as noise sensitivity related to variousneurological conditions).

Temperature is also a personal comfort issue. Patrons sensitive to coldor heat, or simply seeking colder or warmer environments, would be ableto view real-time temperature conditions, which, along with sound orlight, would affect overall experience. Temperature is also a factor inemployee satisfaction and productivity. Thus, a venue might want tooptimize these conditions in real time and correlate with sound andlight for enhanced effect. Standard temperature sensors, for example,like those used in home-based thermostats, could be used in a combinedambient monitoring device.

Further, light conditions also affect overall venue experience. Light,along with sound, present the biggest impacts on patron experience—loudsounds with dark lighting; soft sounds with bright lighting; and othercombinations.

Patrons may seek brighter or darker environments for a variety ofreasons, including personal enjoyment and light sensitivity (whether dueto vision impairment or neurological conditions, such as epilepsy).Light conditions can also affect employee work and productivity. Ifconditions are too dark, this could present a safety risk. If conditionsare too bright, that could adversely affect work conditions (throughstress).

The system may also be able to differentiate between different kinds oflight. For example, it may include an optical light detector or other“light frequency detector” that, in addition to detecting how bright ordark an environment is, can detect the level of ultraviolet light,infrared light, or other harmful versions of light outside of the lightspectrum. The sensors could also detect non-visible radiofrequencytransmissions or presence in a particular environment. In an example ofa café, a potential consumer may wish to avoid increased exposure toultraviolet light. If a café has a large number of windows, is anopen-air café, or is exposed in some other way to a lot of naturallight, the sensors inside the café can detect the ultraviolet waves andtransmit the relevant data regarding levels of ultraviolet light. If acafé has a lot of natural light but not a lot of ultraviolet exposure,the café can market this “low ultraviolet” environment to consumers whoare sensitive to ultraviolet light.

A spike in light conditions, with or without a spike in soundconditions, at specific times, could also represent entrance into aspecific venue, whether authorized (employees) or unauthorized(intruders). Thus the system could function as additional security. Thesystem could also determine and collect data regarding the frequency ofvariability of the temperature. A rapid change in temperature, whetherhigh or low, could indicate a climate control failure or possibly fire.A real-time messaging featuring, via SMS, email or other system, coulddeliver this data to specified accounts upon its occurrence.

Depending on the categorization of the input signal, such as sound,light, or temperature, the system could flag certain detections forgroups with specific sensitivity such as epilepsy or autism. Forexample, certain frequencies of light, such as a high frequency strobelight, will tend to trigger an epileptic reaction while otherfrequencies of light, such as a lighthouse, will not trigger anepileptic reaction. In another example, certain noise levels or noisetypes may make it difficult for people with hearing loss to hold aconversation with another person. By flagging these particularenvironments, individuals will better be able to select an environmentsuited to their needs.

On the server side, the application could track the crowd activitysignal at varying points and store in records uniquely associated withthe specific venue. The crowd signal data would be stored with specifictimes. In this way, both real-time and historical data on sound pressurelevel, for example, could be maintained, including averages for specificdays and times of day. The crowd intensity signal could be convertedinto a numerical scale value that could allow for simple comparisonbetween different venues. Both real-time and average intensity scorescould be included in the comparison set. See FIG. 2 as an examplecomparative plot of sound pressure data for 3 venues during the courseof a given day. Levels of light, temperature and other data types couldbe presented this way as well.

The venue itself would be associated in the database with geographiclocation at different levels. In this way, both real-time and averagecrowd intensity levels could be evaluated from a single venue all theway up to blocks, neighborhoods, cities, regions, and states (or highergeographic levels as well).

With the data above regularly captured and analyzed, it can then be madeavailable for use by both venues and consumers. Venues could review thedata in a tabular or visual format to see how they are doing from acomparative buzz standpoint—as opposed to just measuring against theirown historical cash register performance. Crowd intensity data wouldenable venues to offer time-specific specials to draw in customers. Suchspecials could be generated manually in response to a slow night.Alternatively, specials could be set to be published automatically wheneither (a) a given venue's performance is off compared to its ownhistorical average or (b) when crowd signal is lower compared to similarvenues in an area.

Crowd intensity or other ambient condition signal data would also bemade available for call by remote personal devices, such as smartphones,tablet computers and PC's, and presented either in a browser or in anative app interface. Consumers could see maps such as that depicted inFIG. 3 showing where the hot and cold venues are—and the map couldtoggle to only show cold (quiet) locations or only hot (busy) locations.If consumers are new to town and want to see where the hot spots are,they can see in an instant. Or if they are looking for a quiet spot fordinner, or someplace with immediate seating, they can see that as well.Those with hearing-related challenges or noise sensitivity will findthis especially useful.

The ambient condition signals could also be averaged over time toprovide a rating useful for general purposes—when temporal data may notbe as important as a generally applicable crowd activity rating. Also,the crowd activity signal could be used to facilitate on-the-spotreservations, whereby consumers could rapidly choose a venue and book areservation.

Trend data will also be available—which are the next hot spots, andwhich are cooling down? In one embodiment, consumers will able to use amobile app with mapping to see what parts of town or which individualvenues are trending up in activity. In this way, they will detect neweror re-surging venues and be able to enjoy these venues more quickly.

Other data that may be available is rate of change data. For example,the system may be able to pick up on rapid changes in light signals suchas, but not limited to, very quick bright and dark signals that mayindicate strobe lights or flickering lights. Therefore, if there is alot of variation in the signal over time, the system can detect it. Thistype of information in regard to light signals will be useful forindividuals with conditions such as epilepsy since flickering orflashing lights may induce a seizure. Further, even if an individualdoes not have a medical condition, the individual may not want to be inan environment with flashing lights because it indicates a setting orenvironment that is not calm, such as a nightclub.

The system may also pick up on rapid changes in sound signals such as,but not limited to, very quick loud and soft signals that may indicate asetting that is less calm. For example, a club or bar may vary quicklybetween very loud noises and no noise. In another example, a restaurantor café on a busy street may be generally quiet until traffic drives byor construction starts, at which time the traffic or construction couldcause very loud noises. In yet another example, a live band may cause asetting to be loud during songs, but quiet between songs.

City law enforcement and emergency management authorities may also havereason to use the data output from the system. For either, knowledgethat crowds, especially loud ones, are rapidly increasing in a givenarea could indicate the need for additional public safety protection,whether to maintain normal public order on the sidewalks or to manage anactual emergency. They would be able to direct resources, especially atevening times, where the people actually are at a given point in time,not just where they have been historically.

The disclosed system is computer-implemented and uses a computingsystem. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an example computingsystem 400. The example computing system 400 includes at least onecomputing device 402 and at least one ambient condition sensor 408(sound pressure, light, temperature or other). The ambient conditionsensors are of the types known to those skilled in the art. The devicescan be powered by any conventional power supply, whether battery, DC orAC connection, power over Ethernet or other types. In some embodimentsthe computing system 400 further includes a communication network 404(such as the internet or a cellular network) and one or more additionalcomputing devices 406 (such as a server).

Computing device 402 can be, for example, a smart phone or other mobiledevice, a tablet computing device, a netbook, a computing device locatedin a user's home or office, or any other computing device. Computingdevice 402 can be a stand-alone computing device or a networkedcomputing device that communicates with one or more other additionalcomputing devices across a network 404. The additional computingdevice(s) can be, for example, located remote from the initial computingdevice 402, but configured for data communication with the initialcomputing device 402 across a network 404. Computing device 406 can be,for example, a server. The ambient condition sensor 408 is networked tocommunicate with one or more computing devices 302 and/or computingdevice or server 406 across a network 404.

In some examples, the computing device 402 includes at least oneprocessor or processing unit 420 and system memory 410. Depending on theexact configuration and type of computing device, the system memory 410may be volatile (such as RAM), nonvolatile (such as ROM, flash memory,etc.) or some combination of the two. System memory 410 typicallyincludes an operating system 412 suitable for controlling the operationof the computing device, such as the WINDOWS® operating systems fromMicrosoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., or a server, such as WindowsSharePoint Server, also from Microsoft Corporation. To provide furtherexample, if the computing device 402 is a smart phone or other mobiledevice, the operating system 412 may be iOS, WP7, or any other availablemobile operating system. The system memory 410 may also include one ormore software applications 414 and may include program data 416. Thesoftware applications 414 may be in the form of mobile applications inexamples wherein the computing device 402 is a mobile device.

The computing device 402 may have additional features or functionality.For example, the device may also include additional data storage devices418 (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magneticdisks, optical disks, or tape. Computer storage media 418 may includevolatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implementedin any method or technology for storage of information, such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.System memory, removable storage and non-removable storage are allexamples of computer storage media. Computer storage media includes, butis not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other opticalstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used tostore the desired information and which can be accessed by the computingdevice. An example of computer storage media 418 is non-transitorymedia. The computing device 406 may include data storage media such asthe data storage media 418 described above, on which data is stored.

In some examples, one or more of the computing devices 402, 406 can belocated in a venue or place of business. In other examples, thecomputing device can be a personal computing device that is networked toallow the user to access the system disclosed herein at a remotelocation, such as in a user's home or other location. In someembodiments, the computing device is a smart phone or other mobiledevice. In some embodiments some components of the disclosed system arestored as data instructions for a smart phone application. A network 404facilitates communication between the computing device 402 and one ormore servers, such as an additional computing device 406, that host thedisclosed system. The network 404 may be a wide variety of differenttypes of electronic communication networks. For example, the network maybe a wide-area network, such as the Internet, a local-area network, ametropolitan-area network, a cellular network or another type ofelectronic communication network. The network may include wired and/orwireless data links. A variety of communications protocols may be usedin the network 404 including, but not limited to, Ethernet, TransportControl Protocol (TCP), Internet Protocol (IP), Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP), SOAP, remote procedure call protocols, and/or othertypes of communications protocols.

In some examples, the additional computing device 406 is a Web server.In this example, the initial computing device 402 includes a Web browserthat communicates with the Web server to request and retrieve data. Thedata is then displayed to the user, such as using a Web browser softwareapplication. In some embodiments, the various operations, methods, andrules disclosed herein are implemented by instructions stored in memory.When the processor of one or more of computing devices 402 and 406executes the instructions, the instructions cause the processor toperform one or more of the operations or methods disclosed herein.

The system and method can also include location-data captured by aGPS-enabled application or device. The computing device 402 may alsohave Wi-Fi or 3G capabilities.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way ofillustration only and should not be construed to limit the claimsattached hereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize variousmodifications and changes that may be made without following the exampleembodiments and applications illustrated and described herein andwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for selecting a venue, the systemcomprising: a plurality of smartphones, each smartphone having a set ofone or more sensors including at least one of a microphone, a lightsensor, and a temperature sensor, each smartphone being programmed andconfigured to capture ambient conditions data from its set of one ormore sensors and to transmit the ambient conditions data along withlocation information; and a cloud-based application programmed andconfigured to: receive and store ambient conditions data and locationinformation from the plurality of smartphones via a data network;maintain a plurality of ambient conditions profiles, each ambientconditions profile corresponding to one of a plurality of venues, eachambient conditions profile incorporating ambient conditions data fromthe plurality of smartphones with location information corresponding tothe venue of the ambient conditions profile; serve information of one ormore of the plurality of ambient conditions profiles via the datanetwork to one or more of the plurality of smartphones, wherein eachsmartphone is further programmed and configured to display servedambient conditions profiles information.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the cloud-based application is programmed and configured tomaintain the plurality of ambient conditions profiles with averages ofreceived ambient conditions data.
 3. The system of claim 2, whereinaverages of received ambient conditions data include averages atspecific times of day.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cloud-basedapplication is programmed and configured to maintain the plurality ofambient conditions profiles with current ambient conditions data.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the cloud-based application is programmed andconfigured to maintain the plurality of ambient conditions profiles withtrend information.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cloud-basedapplication is programmed and configured to maintain the plurality ofambient conditions profiles with rate of change information.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein each smartphone is programmed and configuredto display information selectively from a single ambient conditionsprofile of the plurality of ambient conditions profiles.
 8. The systemof claim 1, wherein each smartphone is programmed and configured todisplay information simultaneously from multiple of the plurality ofambient conditions profiles.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein eachsmartphone is programmed and configured to display informationsimultaneously from multiple of the plurality of ambient conditionsprofiles on a map, further wherein busy venues and quiet venues aregraphically distinguished on the map, the busy venues and the quietvenues being identified from the ambient conditions profiles of the busyvenues and of the quiet venues.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein eachsmartphone is programmed and configured to display informationselectively for ambient conditions profiles of only quiet venues or onlybusy venues, the busy venues and the quiet venues being identified fromthe ambient conditions profiles of the busy venues and of the quietvenues.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein each smartphone is programmedand configured to display information from ambient conditions profilesselectively according to user specification.
 12. A system for selectinga venue, the system comprising: a plurality of smartphones, eachsmartphone having a set of one or more sensors including at least one ofa microphone, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor, each smartphonebeing programmed and configured to capture ambient conditions data fromits set of one or more sensors and to transmit the ambient conditionsdata along with location information; and a cloud-based applicationprogrammed and configured to: receive and store ambient conditions dataand location information from the plurality of smartphones via a datanetwork; maintain a plurality of ambient conditions profiles, eachambient conditions profile corresponding to one of a plurality ofvenues, each ambient conditions profile incorporating ambient conditionsdata from the plurality of smartphones with location informationcorresponding to the venue of the ambient conditions profile, eachambient conditions profile further incorporating social network feedinformation that provides crowd activity data; serve information of oneor more of the plurality of ambient conditions profiles via the datanetwork to one or more of the plurality of smartphones, wherein eachsmartphone is further programmed and configured to display servedambient conditions profiles information.
 13. The system of claim 12,wherein the social network feed information that provides crowd activitydata includes location information.
 14. The system of claim 12, whereinthe cloud-based application is programmed and configured to maintain theplurality of ambient conditions profiles with more than one of: currentambient conditions data, averaged ambient conditions data, ambientconditions trend data, and ambient conditions rate-of-change data.
 15. Asystem for selecting a venue, the system comprising: a first smartphonehaving a first set of one or more sensors, the first set of one or moresensors including at least one of a microphone, a light sensor, and atemperature sensor, the smartphone being configured to transmit data onambient conditions from the first set of one or more sensors; a secondsmartphone having a second set of one or more sensors, the second set ofone or more sensors including at least one of a microphone, a lightsensor, and a temperature sensor, the second smartphone being configuredto transmit data on ambient conditions from the second set of one ormore sensors; a network configured to provide transmission of databetween at least the first smartphone, the second smartphone, and acloud-based application; and the cloud-based application configured toreceive and process ambient conditions data from the first set of one ormore sensors of the first smartphone and ambient conditions data fromthe second set of one or more sensors of the second smartphone,including locations of the first smartphone and the second smartphone,wherein: the first smartphone is located at a first venue with a firstlocation; the second smartphone is located at a second venue with asecond location; the first smartphone captures ambient conditions datafrom the first set of one or more sensors; the second smartphonecaptures ambient conditions data from the second set of one or moresensors; the cloud-based application collects ambient conditions datafrom each of the first set of one or more sensors of the firstsmartphone and the second set of one or more sensors of the secondsmartphone; the cloud-based application stores and analyzes thecollected ambient conditions data; an analysis of the collected ambientconditions data of the first set of one or more sensors results in afirst ambient conditions profile that includes averaged data for thefirst set of one or more sensors; an analysis of the collected ambientconditions data of the second set of one or more sensors results in asecond ambient conditions profile that includes averaged data for thesecond set of one or more sensors; the cloud-based application pairs thefirst ambient conditions profile with the first location to make a firstpair, and pairs the second ambient conditions profile with the secondlocation to make a second pair; the cloud-based application isconfigured to serve the first pair and the second pair to the firstsmartphone, the second smartphone, and a plurality of other computingdevices; the first smartphone, the second smartphone, and the pluralityof other computing devices execute software applications configured todisplay information from the first pair and the second pair.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the first ambient conditions profile furtherincludes-current data for the first set of one or more sensors and thesecond ambient conditions profile further includes current data for thesecond set of one or more sensors.
 17. The system of claim 15, whereinthe first ambient conditions profile further includes trend data for thefirst set of one or more sensors and the second ambient conditionsprofile further includes trend data for the second set of one or moresensors.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the software applicationsare configured to display the first and second pairs on a map.
 19. Thesystem of claim 18, wherein the software applications are configured todisplay the first and second ambient conditions profiles as circlesaround each of the first and second locations corresponding to thepaired ambient conditions profiles.
 20. The system of claim 18, whereinthe software applications are configured to display either only quietlocations or only busy locations of the first and second pairs, whereinquiet and busy locations are identified from ambient conditionsprofiles.